The world is watching

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump know that the first debate may not hand them a victory in November but it might very well cost them the election. As far as they are concerned, the most important thing is not winning; it is staying alive after the gruelling 90 minutes.

Monday night's debate is the American politics equivalent of the Super Bowl. When all is said and done, people will talk more about the performance than on what actually happened. This is going to be the best show in town -- actually, the world -- and it is going to have record viewership. This is hardly surprising considering that the elections are six weeks away and the outcome is still a toss-up.

Trump can no longer surprise us. He is going to be the same Trump we have come to know throughout the campaign. But what kind of surprise can Clinton pull off? Clinton would be well advised to borrow from Trump's showmanship, because no one is going to remember what she actually says in the debate unless she says something truly remarkable or surprising. For example? She could admit that she indeed sent classified information on her server, or say that she misses the old days when she and Trump were friends. This could embarrass him and give her some brownie points. If, on the other hand, she continues being defensive and coy, she will only help Trump build more momentum.

But Trump also has to do something extraordinary. He must radiate optimism because a campaign that is focused exclusively on attacks will not put him over the top. Since Trump loves to quote from the late President Ronald Reagan, he should revisit the 1980 debates, when Reagan articulated a bright future for his country. This is how you win over America. It worked then; it can work now.

Clinton will try to bait and provoke him. But if he falls into that trap and reverts to the aggressive tactics he used during the primaries, he may lose suburban women in swing states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio. The clock is ticking and he won't have time to undo the damage if he comes off as a misogynist.

Trump is in the upswing and since everything has already been thrown at him, the bar is set very low for him. Clinton, on the other hand, is considered a professional politician with vast experience; she will also have to defend the outgoing president's record. In short -- the onus is on her.

Both candidates must talk directly to the American people -- not to one another. Both candidates will have to prove that they are what America stands for today. Although both suffer from very high unfavorable ratings, perhaps America will come to like one of them in the wake of this debate. Why? Because America loves these kind of Super Bowl moments. Thanks to the two nominees, Americans will get to watch the best game in town at the start of the season (and in two other such events in October).

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